The present disclosure is directed to a wall plug type fastener designed to fasten objects to drywall material (normally known as sheet rock). This fastener is different in operation in that (1) the fastener will not rotate in place in the wall as a screw is engaged, (2) the fastener provides structural reinforcing braces and (3) the fastener is easily removable.
There is a well appreciated need for drywall fasteners which are strong enough to support objects to be hung, while at the same time being designed to prevent rotation in and destruction of the drywall in which they are employed. Drywall, while being employed widely as a very desirable interior wall material, does not provide sufficient support to objects that are commonly attached thereto by means of a nail or a screw. In order to circumvent problems of a nail tearing through, it has become necessary to design a fastener which can distribute the forces associated with hanging or fastened objects over a larger area which can then be more readily accommodated by the drywall. As a generalization, the fasteners presently available which address this problem have lacked structural reinforcement and have been subject to collapsing and subsequently pulling out of the wall. These available fasteners, also, cannot be easily removed. Once these fasteners have been installed, later destruction of the drywall is necessary to permit removal. Further, fasteners which rotate during extension tend to bore out a larger hole than needed to sufficiently support the weight and sustain the stresses resulting from the hung object. The cylindrical metal fasteners on the market simply do not satisfactorily accomplish these tasks. Firstly, these fasteners tend to rotate when screwing in the screw. They are constructed with the arm members radially connected to a threaded collar in a rigid state. In order to extend the arms, the screw must be tightened with enough force to fold the arm members at a point approaching its midpoint. It is this initial force that causes rotation of these particular style fasteners. Secondly, the fasteners available do not hold sufficient weight. These fasteners lack structural support to prevent collapse of the securing arm members under stress. When the screw has spread the wings of the metal fasteners, there no longer remains a support mechanism to prevent the wings from collapsing under weight. The threaded collar to which the arms are attached becomes a stress point. The perpendicular relationship established by the extended arms and threaded collar consequently restricts the strength of the fastener to that of the arm material. The metal fasteners also cannot be easily removed. Once the wings have been extended, the only reasonable approach to remove the fastener is by cutting a large hole in the drywall around the fastener. This forms a hole large enough to allow the collar to pass through the wall, and is damaging to the wall.
The fastener of the present disclosure can be readily distinguished from the structures described above. The present fastener comprises arm members that extend radially from the anchor body. On insertion, the arm members spring back from a collapsed state necessary for insertion to their normal extended position. Consequently, an initial, excessive force is not necessary to extend the arm members. Further, the present fastener utilizes braces that provide support for the fastener and also allows for distribution of the forces over a larger area. The braces form a structural support system which directs the forces exerted by the hanging object along the axis of the screw to the satellite body, down laterally directed braces to the arm members and over the surface area of the arm members. The structure further utilizes anti-rotational wings which prohibit rotation of the installed fastener in the drywall. These wings secure the fastener so that unwanted rotational displacement does not occur by cutting a notch in the drywall as the fastener is progressively inserted into the drywall. This cutting action allows the fastener to be simultaneously secured as the wings become embedded (on tightening) in the drywall. The stability achieved by the anti-rotational wings is enhanced as the remote satellite body is engaged. Further, the present fastener can be easily removed. For removal, one need only to unscrew the exposed screw, remove any bracket present and cut off the collar on the anchor body. The fastener can then be pushed through the wall and the hole covered with drywall filler. The only destruction of drywall necessary for removal is a small circular hole which is necessary for initial insertion of the fastener.
One very important feature that this plug has that others do not, is that when the screw is tightly secured it will draw the satellite body right up against the anchor body to give the wanted tension on the braces. The person turning the screw will feel that suddenly more torque is needed to turn the screw, and he will then know that the anchor is fully engaged.